Good two-player games

Boardgames
41

Oh god, what a game. I played it to death when I got it, and properly loved it.

1 Like
42

This morning I woke up to a message on my phone that said “We bought Patchwork for our trip and it didn’t work for us, can you recommend us cooperative 2 player games that travel well?”

Yes, I can and yes, I did.

Here’s what I answered (roughly):

  • Sprawlopolis (yes yes it is mostly a solo but if need arises it does play multiple people)
  • Regicide
  • Hardback (has a coop mode)
  • Codenames Duett
  • Aerion
  • SubTerra
  • Mysterium Park
  • Mass Transit

I also added that most Roll&Writes are pretty non-confrontative and that in general 2 player games are often designed to be tight duels and therefore may not work for many people. But multiplayer games that work for 2 are fine f.e. Splendor.

The best thing about the list is. Sprawlopolis is dead cheap. Regicide is free. They can test out some of it on BGA/online with me before and the last 4 I can loan them. (I cannot loan out my copy of Sprawlopolis ever)

5 Likes
43

The correct response to this is, “I am sorry, you must not like board games if Patchwork doesn’t work for you. Better try some other activity for trips.”

/s

But yeah, most 2 player games are very duel-ish, and often not cooperative. Fox in the Forest Duet might be another option, if they like trick taking, though I have not played it, only it’s competitive predecessor.

2 Likes
44

I gave away the competitive one (Fox in the Forest). I liked the idea a lot but didn’t work for me and my partner: btw R disliked our one game of Patchwork quite a lot and complained so much I distanced myself from ever owning one of the lovely special editions. (Despite that, I think Patchwork is very much overhyped. It’s a good game but not that good, ymmv.)

I stumble across the same issue time and again with duel games. So I completely understood where my friend was coming from. Btw he enjoyed Patchwork but his partner did not.

1 Like
45

I’m really undecided about Fox In The Forest Duet. It’s difficult to win - me and my partner made good moves throughout and only just did it. That can lead to “you are the one who messed it up” conflict in what’s supposed to be a co-op. (It IS a co-op, but not a relaxed one).

Having said that, she LOVED the artwork in Duet, and trick-taking never gets old. I haven’t played the original yet.

4 Likes
46

I liked the original FITF but didn’t enjoy Duet – my partner and I both found it kinda dull. I like Patchwork though, so TMMV.

2 Likes
47

Other possibilities:

  • The Lost Expedition (challenging)
  • The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
  • Geometric Art
  • Space Hulk: Death Angel (if they don’t mind the theme and the high difficulty)
  • Solar Storm (I’ve never played it, but it sounds a bit like a board-less sci-fi Pandemic in a smaller box)
  • The Grizzled (I’ve never played this either)

Mind you, there’s a lot of bigger-box games that can be very compact if you don’t actually take the box. A flat board and a few zip-lock bags of components (ignoring any for 3+ players) can often be packed away very easily in one’s luggage!

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective can be just the rules and whichever episode(s) you choose to bring, for instance.

3 Likes
48

My best two player game that never fails: Santorini.

Others:
Chronicles of Crime 1400 has some great two player mechanics. It’s easy to understand, and the crime scenes need one person to say our loud what they’re seeing while the other takes notes. Needs a phone app, though.

Parks
Canvas
Herbaceous
Railroad ink
Lost Cities
Kanagawa

3 Likes
49

Paula Deming’s top ten two-player games:

Her constraint here is “specifically intended just for two players”.

Main list:

  1. That Time You Killed Me
  2. Targi
  3. Memoir '44
  4. Jaipur
  5. Warhammer Underworlds
  6. Lost Cities
  7. Space Hulk
  8. Mythic Mischief
  9. Undaunted: Normandy
  10. Caper Europe

Honourable Mentions:

  • Chai: Tea for 2
  • Longhorn
  • Marrakech
  • Watergate
5 Likes
50

My personal top ten, with a slightly fuzzier constraint: “must be intended for two players more than it is for another player count”. So Piepmatz is, with regret, out, but Crokinole is in.

And I’m not even going to put them in order, but these are all in my collection and staying there:

  • Crokinole
  • Targi
  • Star Realms (I think Frontiers is the best iteration)
  • Jaipur
  • Hanamikoji
  • Onitama
  • Air Land & Sea (not sure yet how I feel about SL&S)
  • Baseball Highlights 2045
  • Ashes (Reborn)
  • Fungi/Morels
5 Likes
51

My own top 10, in no particular order:

Twilight Struggle
Innovation
Go
Hive
Mottainai
Android: Netrunner
Napoleon’s Triumph
Space Hulk
Blood Bowl
Tash-Kalar

3 Likes
52

Marrakech isn’t just two players?

53

Damn, that’s such a good pick.

Really surprised to see Space Hulk on Paula D’s list, because I didn’t know there was a 2014 edition and apparently even that’s out of print (in addition to the rest of them being out of print).

1 Like
54
  1. Tash Kalar
  2. Race for the Galaxy (never played at another count)
  3. Wingspan Asia
  4. 7 Wonders Duel
  5. Codenames: Duet
  6. Star Realms
  7. Yinsh
  8. Bohnanza Duel
  9. Splendor (Marvel, actual Duel is supposedly good?)
  10. Innovation (if only my partner would play with me)

Honorable mentions:

  • A Feast for Odin
  • M:tG–it’s been a very long time, and yet…
  • Imperium: Classics
  • Unmatched (if only my partner would play with me I would own way more than 2 boxes)

PS: as my list shows, I am not a fan o “real” two player only games. Most of the ones I have, are 2 player versions of other games or have other than 2 players listed on the box even if I ignore those player counts. The reason might be those are too competitive for my tastes.

3 Likes
55

I don’t know how many this is but I currently play and enjoy…

Cribbage
Haggis
Crokinole
Carrom
Innovation
Race for the Galaxy (feels like I’m cheating)
Lost Cities (I hate this game so much, but it’s so good)

Not played in a while, but I’d still rate
Twilight Struggle (personally burned out on it)
Star Wars Rebellion

4 Likes
56

I’d better get a move on and play That time you killed me

2 Likes
57

(Race for the Galaxy would have made my list if I thought it genuinely best at two players)

58

Top 2 players only - not in order

  • Summoner Wars
  • Netrunner
  • Go
  • Power & Weakness (only known as ‘Macht & Ohnmacht’)
  • Napoleon’s Triumph
  • Agricola: All Creatures
  • Hive
  • Tak (although, I prefer playing with the 6x6 board nowadays)
  • Battlecon
  • War of the Ring (c’mon. It’s a 2 player only game!)
4 Likes
59

I played Summoner Wars once back in the day and didn’t love it, though I suspect if I were getting into it now I’d go for that rather than Ashes.

Need to sort out some Netrunner tokens so that I can play with the Null Signal cards I got at Essen last year…

1 Like
60

She mentions in the video that she sorta cheats with a couple of them.

Going by what I have played, my top 10 2-player only list would include:

Jaipur
Lost Cities
Patchwork
Royal Visit
7 Wonders Duel
Codenames: Duet
Hanamikoji
Sobek: 2 Players
(and to get to 10)
Mr. Jack
Caesar! Seize Rome in 20 Minutes!
Santorini

The last three have only been played once or twice, so I do not feel like I can justifiably give them a top 10 rating, but I only have so many 2-player only games. Then there’s Star Wars: Rebellion and Undaunted: Normandy, both of which I’m sure would be in the list, but they have not been played yet, so…yeah.

Honorable mentions to Unmatched and X-Wing Miniatures Game. Both are mostly played 1-on-1, but are not actually limited to that player count. Definitely would make the top 10 otherwise, though.

EDIT: LOL, I can’t count this morning, as I listed 11 games.

2 Likes